VK2IM Opinion on SO-SOA CQ WW DX Contest

Finally!!!

That's very interesting...

I think the assisted category should not been introduced in first place. I think that it is good idea to merge the assisted and not-assisted back into one category.

In my view the 'un-assisted' should be paper logs only! Everything else is 'assisted'. We all know how great assistance is a computer logger in contest - with all these little gadgets. Many of us used to run contests with 2nd guy sitting next to us and doing the dupe check on big paper spreadsheet - and that was a great assistance. And there never has been category: PC logging, paper logging :-)

There is no doubt that clusters can greatly improve the multiplier chase. Then again, everybody can have access to the Internet in these days - not only the privileged. Then again it is question if it is better to chase multipliers or run. It happened to me many times that I was waiting long time for multiplier and on the end I did not even get it. If you look at it differently, for example typical single band contest, let's say: 1000 QSO's 100 multipliers 300,000 points. Then each new multiplier represents 3,000 points on the final score. Each new contact represents 300 points. So, is it better to break the the pile-up for new one or make a run of 10 QSO's for same 3000 points... And in AB the difference is even lower because the ratio QSO/multipliers is smaller. It's kind of skill to efficiently use the clusters - although you need much more skills to find new multiplier without clusters. Similar with SO2R. SO2R can improve the score, but if an experienced SO1R use the SO2R for first time then he/she will make more mess that gain. And (generally) there are no SO2R and SO1R categories in contest.

In my view only the self-spotting (or soliciting, skeding or finishing contact online) and Morse readers should not be allowed in contests. If someone wants to decode the signal using PC, then he/she should use the 'poor man CW' = RTTY. RTTY is great mode and PC can handle RTTY decoding much better then CW reading. In my view, if one can learn some 40 words in Swahili or Japanisie, then he/she can learn the 40 characters in CW. When I was 13 then in took me 2 weeks to pass the Morse for 18WPM exam at the Novice course together with other 40 kids. No hard feelings but CW is not a monster... I think many VK hams have been 'robbed' of CW especially with the philosophy of 5 or 10WPM exams. If someone passed the 5WPM exam, that's only means that he/she can count the dots and dashes. Anyway, that's my opinion (I for one - I hope I did not offended anyone)...

73's

Vlad VK2IM